Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, says the country is ready to deepen cooperation with Nigeria in innovation, agriculture, healthcare, security, education and skills development sector.
Freeman disclosed this on Monday night in Abuja, during the 78th Anniversary ceremony of the Independence of the State of Israel organised by the Israeli Embassy in Nigeria.
According to him, expanding Israeli-Nigerian cooperation is not charity, but an investment in a shared future.
“The future of Israeli-Nigeria relations will not be defined by speeches. It will be defined by entrepreneurs who build companies.
“It will be defined by farmers who increase their harvests. It will be defined by doctors and paramedics who save lives.
“It will be defined by young people who refuse to accept limitations. This is because when Nigerian ingenuity meets Israeli innovation, extraordinary things happen,” he said.
The envoy noted that Nigeria is blessed with extraordinary potential, such as a young population, entrepreneurial spirit, vast agricultural resources and unwavering determination to succeed.
He said that through the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR) programme, young Nigerian entrepreneurs were working with Israeli and Nigerian mentors.
Freeman said that both sides were working to transform ideas into businesses that create thousands of jobs and solve real-world challenges.
“I am pleased to announce tonight that we are committing to a fifth-quarter co-ordinate programme for 2027, and when it comes to agriculture, Israeli companies are already working in Nigeria today,” he added.
Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, said Nigeria and Israel shared a long lasting relationship founded on mutual respect, cooperation and common belief in transformation,power and community.
According to her, while the two countries are separated from one another, they are united by rich territory, cultural diversity and internal energy that connect both nations to the role of community in national development.
“Today, as Nigeria advances its vision of building a vibrant political economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, it will recognise opportunity for deepening collaboration with Israel in the fields of art, culture, tourism, and the beauty of our people,” Musawa said.
@NAN
